Mercy Medical opens 'Baby Cafes' to support breast-feeding moms

There are approximately 20 baby cafes in the United States at this time

Mercy Medical Center's Family Life Center for Maternity is opening two "Baby Cafes" in Springfield to offer breast-feeding support for pregnant as well as breast-feeding mothers on a drop-in basis.

"There are approximately 20 baby cafes in the United States at this time," said Alice Hodge, a registered nurse and Mercy's parent education coordinator, of the concept. "We're the first one in Western Massachusetts."

The cafes are located in a room inside the lobby of Mercy Medical at 299 Carew St., where a grand opening with refreshments will be held June 17 from 10 a.m. to noon, with a ribbon-cutting at 10:30 a.m., and at MercyCare-Forest Park at 475 Sumner Ave., where the grand opening will be the same hours on June 24.

Professionally trained lactation staff, who breastfed their own children, will be available at the cafes as well as peer counselors from Springfield North WIC (Women, Infants and Children nutrition program).

The cafe at Mercy Medical will be open every other Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon, and at MercyCare-Forest Park, every other Monday from 10 a.m. to noon. Any woman in the community can receive the free support offered. Spanish, Vietnamese and Russian translation services are available.

"The real premise of the group is to have a relaxing, non-clinical atmosphere, where mothers can come and talk about their breast-feeding experiences, if they need breast-feeding support, because they're having issues or problems," Hodge said.

"The need is there because we find that a lot of times, women do not exclusively breastfeed because of problems they have in the first several weeks, and then, as the baby grows, they go through certain developmental feeding changes, so it's to help support them."

Hodge said mothers can benefit by talking with other mothers going through the same experience.

"They learn from other mothers," she said. "If a mother is struggling, she may learn about how something worked (for someone else), or how things didn't, and how she was able to get support. It's about doing what is best for you and your baby."

Hodge said the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for at least six months, and continue to be breastfed till they reach 1 year. The cafe concept is designed to help provide women with support to try to breastfeed as long as they can.

"It will just add to the complementary services that we already have here," Hodge said. "Also, because we are partnering with the WIC program and the Mass in Motion program (state program to promote healthy lifestyles) through the Department of Public Health, it's a way for all of us to network together to reach mothers that may need some assistance."

The cafe project is funded by the state health department through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In August, Mercy will do a seminar for area employers on how they can support breast-feeding mothers returning to work.
For more information, call at (413) 748-7295 or visit to www.mercycares.com..